I Think I May Love You
by Sidekickwannabe
Summary: ..Hermione. Forgive me. If I have ever hurt you, forgive me. If I have made you uncomfortable, if you do not feel as I, please, forgive me.


"Oh, and Miss Granger, one more thing before you go. I... I think I may love you."

The words kept playing themselves over and over in my head, as though they were a broken record that had no way of shutting off. This man, whom I had never regarded as anything but my professor and nemesis of my two best friends, who had never so much as looked my way without immediately turning away in disgust, confessed his love for me. LOVE!

I was quiet for a moment, my hand paused on the doorknob. "Goodnight, sir."

I could do nothing more. To act as though I hadn't heard him or to deny him his feelings would be unfair and untrue.

His voice was pleading and I couldn't help but feel bad for him. "I know I have been nothing but a thorn in your side and in those of Messrs Potter and Weasley these many years. I've never had but an unkind word for you and my criticisms have been.. unforgiving. However, I am inclined to offer both my apologies for my past behavior to you and my promises that, while I am not.. an easy man to live with, I will, in essence, make you happy, should you feel that your feelings toward me are or might possibly become reciprocated."

The tear that slid down my cheek hit the floor as I stood with my head bowed, listening to my former professor's confession of love.

"Miss Granger..."

"Hermione."

"H - Hermione. Forgive me. If I have ever hurt you, forgive me. If I have made you uncomfortable, if you do not feel as I, please, forgive me."

My heart tightened. "Sir... Please, do not..." I couldn't finish the sentence. Everything within me was begging for me to say nothing more and to leave, to run away, back to my sanctuary that dealt with facts. Facts I could understand and the books that held them, I understood, but emotion of this kind.. no one had ever been so honest, so truthful that it almost painful to witness, nor had anyone stirred within me the feelings I was experiencing.

His silky voice was soft and controlled. "Please leave my office, Miss Granger."

I lifted my head and I turned to face him. He was sitting at the desk, furiously marking essays with a red inked quill.

My voice caught in my throat. "No, you miss understand me, sir. I meant.. that well.. Don't apologize. Please don't. You do so much, risk so much. You selflessly give so much of yourself to so many.. Never apologize. It is I who should apologize, for making you feel as though you have said or done something wrong. I cannot deny that your words.. puzzle me. No one - People don't see me like - I'm not one of those girls who boys, er.. men fall in love with. So, um, I'm not quite sure what I should say, sir."

He paused from his grading and looked up at me. I had not seen his eyes until that moment and for a second, I was glad I hadn't. They were dark, but even from the distance that separated him from me, I could see something different from all the other times I'd looked at him. There was a passion that even I could not miss seeing.

In an instant, he was on his feet and had crossed the room to where I stood at the door, my trembling hand still on the doorknob. I grasped at it as though letting go would end me. He reached out his hand and caressed my cheek. There was warmth and gentleness in his touch and the instinct I'd first had to resist faded almost as immediately as it had appeared. I found myself relaxing into his touch, enjoying it, and letting myself become carried away by the utter romance of it all.

"I think you could love me, Miss - Hermione," he said, softly.

My reply was a whisper but it was enough. "I think I already do." Fin

An: I'm a huge Harry Potter fan, so it's taken me many many years to feel as though I might possibly do these incredibly crafted characters the justice they deserve in my own fan fiction. I'm still not sure if I quite captured these two people in the right way. The first line came into my head a long long time ago and most of this very short piece has sat patiently waiting for a suitable ending. In writing Snape, I found the idea that as sophisticated and guarded as he is, romance would be a hard thing for him, especially if he really and truly cared about someone. Snape is a man who knows his flaws but is reluctant to admit them to anyone but himself, or so I imagine. Apologizing in any form would be a self humbling experience, as well as allowing himself to become vulnerable enough to love someone and to tell them So I let him gracefully stumble through his speech. I know it's short and my notes long, but I hope I did well. 


End file.
